Hanmi Pharmaceutical (128940.KS) has unveiled a next-generation obesity treatment candidate designed to boost muscle growth. The strategy aims to address the limitations of existing glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 class obesity treatments, which can cause muscle loss during weight reduction.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical said Monday that it had disclosed for the first time the preclinical research results of "HM500197," a muscle-building obesity treatment candidate, at the American Diabetes Association meeting (ADA 2026) held recently in New Orleans.
HM500197 is a peptide-based candidate designed to selectively block myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle growth. Unlike many muscle-preserving treatments currently in development that are based on antibodies or Fc fusion proteins, it is characterized by its peptide platform.
According to Hanmi Pharmaceutical, HM500197 showed myostatin inhibition activity in in-vitro studies at a level similar to bimagrumab, which was developed as a muscle-preserving treatment. No inhibitory activity against non-target cytokines was observed, confirming its selectivity.
Animal experiments confirmed a lean mass increase effect centered on skeletal muscle. In a mouse model with obesity induced by a high-fat diet, HM500197 increased lean mass and skeletal muscle mass in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, when administered in combination with GLP-1 class drugs, it showed a weight-loss effect centered on body fat while reducing muscle loss, the company explained.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical presented a total of eight obesity treatment-related research results at this ADA, including HM500197. It also disclosed research covering the combination potential, mechanism of action, and musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and renal protective effects of "HM17321," another muscle-building obesity treatment candidate. HM17321 is currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States.
"The two pillars of our muscle-building obesity drug pipeline will be game changers that reshape the global market landscape," said Choi In-young, executive vice president and head of Hanmi Pharmaceutical's future growth division. "We will overcome the limitations of currently marketed obesity treatments and present a new treatment paradigm."
